Novo Nordisk, a focused healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes care, today announced a unique partnership to form Team Novo Nordisk, a global sports team with more than 100 cyclists, triathletes and runners who all have diabetes, spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes pro-cycling team.

Team Novo Nordisk will use life experiences and competitiveness to motivate people affected by diabetes. Throughout 2013, these athletes will compete in more than 500 sporting competitions around the world. The men’s pro-cycling team will compete in races such as the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, the Tour of Britain and the Paris-Tours, with the ultimate goal of joining the Tour de France.

“As part of our long-standing Changing Diabetes programme, this partnership provides a tremendous opportunity to raise awareness, and educate, empower and inspire people with diabetes,” says Jakob Riis, senior vice president, Global Marketing and Global Medical Affairs, Novo Nordisk. “This is yet another way Novo Nordisk is striving to create more opportunities to live well with diabetes.”

Phil Southerland founded what was known as ‘Team Type 1’ in 2005 and included riders and athletes with and without diabetes until this year. The new Team Novo Nordisk will only comprise of athletes who have diabetes and will continue to grow the team mission “to instil hope and inspiration for people around the world affected by diabetes.”

“As Team Novo Nordisk we want to show the world what is possible with great diabetes control. Between us, Team Novo Nordisk has over 1,000 diagnosed years of diabetes with no complications and we stand for what life with diabetes can be like,” Southerland says. “Exercise is that billion dollar drug that nobody ever gets prescribed, and in my experience is the best of them all. With appropriate diet, exercise, treatment and technology, anyone with diabetes can achieve their dreams.”

Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed a partnership with PrimeSport, clinic the leader in providing direct access to the biggest sporting events which will offer Official Jacksonville Jaguars Tickets and Fan Travel Packages for all home and away games for the 2012 season.

“We are extremely excited to get back on the field for the start of the 2012 season,” said Scott Massey, Senior Vice President, Corporate Partnerships for the Jaguars. “We know that our partnership with PrimeSport will provide Jaguars fans safe and reliable packages throughout the season to cheer us on wherever we play.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2012 season under the leadership of new head coach Mike Mularkey. Mularkey and his staff spent a busy spring and summer preparing for the season, which will also be the team’s first under new owner Shahid Khan. The Jaguars face a difficult schedule at home in EverBank Field as well as on the road.

PrimeSport’s Official Jacksonville Jaguars Fan Travel Packages are available for all home and away games, and may include game tickets, a PrimeSport ticket holder and lanyard, discounts for merchandise, hotels, rental cars and much more.

For the ultimate loyal fan looking to take their team spirit on the road and cheer on the Jaguars, PrimeSport’s Fan Travel Game of the Year Package is against the Houston Texans on November 18. Packages include a game ticket, round trip airfare transportation on the road-trip fan bus, a PrimeSport ticket holder and lanyard, exclusive Jaguars fan travel gift souvenir, and pregame tailgate.

“We have built a reputation in the NFL as a reliable and dependable source for fan and corporate travel, and we look forward to delivering a unique experience to Jaguars fans,” says Greg Nortman, Chief Operating Officer of PrimeSport. “Leave the planning to us. PrimeSport will deliver unforgettable and hassle-free experiences for Jaguars fans.”

Besiktas will not be in European competition next season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the UEFA decision to suspend the Turkish team.

Be?ikta? were investigated by UEFA for misleading them in the second and third quarters of 2011, pills non-payment of players wages and ruled that they violated articles of the recently implemented financial fair play regulations.

Eskisehirspor will replace the Black Eagles in this seasons Europa League campaign.

Be?ikta? is estimated to be in debt to tune of €180-€200 million, Chairman Fikret Orman had made it his priority to resolve the mounting financial crisis and create a more sustainable future when he was elected last month.

The Istanbul club have been taking steps to resolve the situation and are expected to have a clear out this summer, cut their wage bill and focus on developing their academy players as well as signing players on free transfers.

A group headed by Tom Stillman has been unanimously been approved by the NHL’s Board of Directors to takeover over the St Louis Blues.

Tom Stillman, who had a 10 per cent stake of the Blues since 2007, and a group of local investors paid $130 million for the franchise according to media reports.

The deal is also expected to include the Blues’ minor league affiliate Peoria Rivermen and the management rights to the Blues’ home arena.

St. Louis finished second in the Western Conference this season but were swept from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in four games by the Los Angeles Kings.

The Blues were valued at $157 million according to an annual survey released by business magazine Forbes last November that said the league’s 30 teams are worth an average $240 million.

To help keep golfers prepared for any unexpected circumstances on the links while looking stylish, medstore Survival Straps has partnered with the PGA Tour to introducing a new line of PGA TOUR licensed paracord gear, including bracelets, bag tags, key chains and lanyards.

Created with woven paracord, Survival Straps can be unwound and transformed into a durable, multi-purpose rope. Survival Straps’ official PGA TOUR gear features custom dog tags with men or women’s sizes featuring the PGA TOUR logo. Bracelets can be customized with either a stainless steel shackle closure or a plastic side release buckle.

The PGA TOUR men’s collection includes a regular width bracelet, a light duty bracelet and a wide survival bracelet, as well as a key fob, gear tag and lanyard in a combination red and navy blue weave to match the PGA TOUR logo. The women’s collection includes a light duty bracelet, key fob, gear tag and lanyard in solid pink.

“We are very pleased to be entering into this new licensing partnership with Survival Straps,” said Tim Hawes, Senior Vice President of Retail Licensing for the PGA TOUR. “Survival Straps is an innovative company on the threshold of becoming a major force in their product category. They are exactly the type of company that the PGA TOUR welcomes into its licensing portfolio.”

Kurt Walchle, CEO of Survival Straps, added: “We are extremely excited to be working with the PGA TOUR to create licensed gear for Survival Straps fans. The gear is great looking but also a natural fit. Golfers often find themselves far away from the clubhouse and in situations where some paracord could come in handy. We recently received an email from a customer who was on the 10th hole of a course and had his golf cart break down. He unraveled his survival bracelet and made a towline to another golf cart. They were able to tow the broken cart back to the clubhouse, where he got a new cart and continued his game.”

by Ismail Uddin

 

Major League Baseball (MLB) team Houston Astros have sold the organisation with the National League Central Division club moving to the American League West for the 2013 season.

A report on the Astros website on Thursday said Drayton McLane, who has owned the club since 1992, sold the team to a group headed by Houston businessman Jim Crane for $610 million.

“I welcome Jim Crane and his group as they prepare to become the new stewards of the Astros,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

“I thank them for their patience and determination throughout a long but necessary process, which allowed us to accomplish our due diligence.”

Under McLane, who put the team up for sale last November, the Astros have experienced some of the greatest moments in the franchise’s history, including winning the NL pennant in 2005 and the opening of Minute Maid Park in 2000.

Houston’s eventual move to the AL West will put them in a division with cross-state rival Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners.

It will also mark MLB’s first realignment since the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the AL Central to the NL Central before the 1998 season.

When the Astros switch divisions, MLB will have 15 clubs in each league and five clubs in each of its six divisions for the first time.

A UK Government spending review this Autumn could lead to at least half of Britain’s Olympic sports having their funding cut before the London 2012 Games, it is reported.

The director of performance at UK Sport, Peter Keen, has said he would be willing to divert money from 50 per cent of the country’s sporting bodies to athletes who have a more realistic chance of success at the 2012 Games.

Keen said: “Like all publicly funded organisations, we’ll soon hear our budget. You must remember that our London mission was funded by a dramatic increase in exchequer funding, not Lottery funding. But we’re dependent on exchequer funding that will be determined in the Autumn.

“With any reasonable budget we will give the backing [prospective medal-winning] athletes deserve. And so if that means we can only fund half the sports, then that’s all we can do.What we really don’t want is to dilute our commitment to excellence.”

Keen revealed the sports that could take priority were cycling, athletics, rowing, sailing and swimming.

He added: “My ultimate loyalty is to elite sport. I learned early on that if you compromise, if you don’t look the monster in the eye, you invariably fail. If you distribute money to the point where you are spreading it so thinly then you’re not recognising a key point: that to do it properly does cost.”